• 2008 — North American extends lease to continue operating airport through April 2028.

MILTON >> A controversial Saratoga County Airport runway extension proposal has mobilized an entire community in its effort to block the project.

About 230 people turned out for a recent public hearing on the issue and a similar-sized crowd is expected at a 3 p.m. June 9 county Building and Grounds Committee meeting that’s tentatively scheduled for the county board room, unless officials decide a larger venue is needed.

In early May, an airport Technical Advisory Committee comprised of county, state and FAA officials voted informally in favor of a 301-foot extension of the 4,699-foot runway. If ultimately approved, several families would be forced to give up their homes, and the county would acquire easements to other properties where future tree cutting might be needed as vegetation grows up.

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“Anxiety is at an all-time high,” said David Burton, a Rowlands Hollow West resident. “There’s a lot of people in limbo. They don’t know what to do. Should they buy new windows or put in a new leach field? Not if their home’s going to be taken away.”

He said the airport issue is foremost on almost everyone’s mind in Milton, including many people he’d never met before.

“It’s exploded,” Burton said. “It’s not just about relocating. For me it’s about the community. These are my friends, family and neighbors.”

However, John Zilka, of North American Flight Services, which leases the county-owned airport, said the FAA — not his firm — advocated the runway extension after reviewing data collected for an airport master plan, which must be updated every 10 years. The update process began last year and the final report is scheduled for completion this fall.

The two runways at the airport opened in 1940. Extending the main one 301 feet to 5,000 feet would cost an estimated $2 million. The FAA would fund 90 percent of the project, with the state and county paying 5 percent each.

North American has been the airport’s sole manager since 2006 and signed a new contract in May 2008 to continue working there through April 2028. The firm is a subsidiary of Burnt Hills-based North American Industrial Services, an industrial maintenance company, with 26 offices and 800 employees throughout the United States.

Zilka and his father, Frank Zilka, and uncle Tim Zilka — North American’s owners — aren’t alone in favoring a runway extension, which they say is strictly for safety reasons, not the additional revenue it would generate through increased traffic and fuel sales.

“Every foot of runway is invaluable for safety,” John Zilka said. “Another 300 feet is not enough to attract anything bigger than what’s already wcoming in here. I would hate for there to be an accident seven years from now where we look back and say this could have been prevented. All it is is preparing our airport for the next decade. That’s the master plan.”

Small-plane pilot and Advisory Committee member Paul Safran, of Saratoga Springs, likened the runway to a whighway.

“Would you like to drive down a road without shoulders?” Safran asked. “It’s an extra buffer. The most critical time of any flight is the first 1,000 feet of vertical. A longer runway gives me a better chance to get back down or stop before I go off the end.”

Residents want to know why they didn’t have a representative on the Advisory Committee.

“There’s an old saying: ‘If you aren’t seated at the table, chances are you’re on the menu,’ ” said Anita Harris, of 17 Kaatskill Way, in Rowlands Hollow East. “We’re content with it (the airport) as it is. Any more and it goes beyond tolerance.”

At 7 p.m. Monday, concerned citizens will meet at Milton Community Center to organize their opposition to the proposed runway extension, and prepare for the June 9 Buildings and Grounds Committee meeting. For information go to: stopairport.com.

Milton Supervisor Dan Lewza, a strong runway extension opponent, is on the Advisory Committee and also chairs the county Buildings and Grounds Committee.

“I still haven’t been given any clear reasons why this needs to happen, why they think it’s a public safety issue,” he said.

Lewza said the June 9 meeting will begin with a presentation by the firm, McFarland Johnson, which is working on the master plan update for the county at a fee of $375,000. Then residents will be allowed to make brief statements.

A draft of the master plan gives the county two other options to consider — no runway extension or an even longer one, of 801 feet.

The Building and Grounds Committee, after reviewing the matter and considering public input, will make a recommendation to the full Saratoga County Board of Supervisors.

The full board’s approval is required for whichever option becomes part of the master plan. Even then, the project won’t take place until FAA funding is secured, which could take several years.

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Paul Post covers NYRA, SPAC, agriculture, Wilton and other local towns, veterans’ issues and more. Reach the author at ppost@digitalfirstmedia.com
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